The Sounds That Keep Us Up
by scarletcanary
Summary: When the sounds of the Waverider keep Nyssa up at night as she adjusts to her new home.


The hum of the Waverider kept Nyssa awake. It felt ridiculous to have let the strange sounds bother her, even after two weeks the sound was still unsettling. There was something unpleasant about the cold dark spaceship at night. During the day it was so full of light and laughter as the many Legends she had come to know as friends filled the areas, but once everyone settled in for the night, those sounds faded away leaving the hum of an unfamiliar ship. Long after Sara had fallen asleep, she lay awake as the darkness surrounded her.

Nyssa slowly shifted around Sara carefully moving out from behind her, so as not to disturb her. As she put on her boots, she took one last look at Sara still asleep and she brushed some of the hair behind Sara's ear before slipping out of the room.

The lights in the hall did not turn on until Nyssa had stepped out of their bedroom compartment and the door behind her closed. Then the blinking noise of the electricity added to the vibration. During her walk she took her time to explore the Waverider, wandering around the halls and the different rooms.

Eventually, she decided she had walked the halls enough and tiredness overtook her. The hum of the engines had faded into the background, yet still made her feel uneasy, and the desire to stay awake entice her. Like a child who refused to fall asleep in fear they'd miss something. So rather than going back to bed, she stopped by the kitchen for a cup of tea. Just as she was about to pour the water into her cup she heard the sound of heavy footsteps coming down the hall and she turned to see Dr. Stein enter the kitchen.

"Oh hello Ms. Al Ghul, I was not aware that anyone else was awake at this hour," he said, startled at her appearance.

"I'm making myself a cup of tea before returning to bed. Would you like some yourself Dr. Stein?" She asked.

"Yes, thank you."

Nyssa pulled out a second mug and poured the tea over a strainer and then handed it to Dr. Stein.

"The older I get, the more difficult it is to fall asleep. I find myself lying awake more and more and all the shifting schedules on the ship is not helping," He explained, as they walked to a table in the gally.

Nyssa nodded in agreement as they sat down. It was hard to keep track of time in the time stream and the timeline deviations did not abide by a 9-5 work schedule.

"So what is keeping you up?" He asked, taking a sip of his tea.

Nyssa looks around the dining room, listing to the hum and taking her time to answer. "I have lived on boats and planes before, but nothing quite as sophisticated as this ship."

"It is astonishing and it can be an adjustment." He smiled at her. "There is nothing else like it back in 2017. Although I can't imagine that your unused to strange things,"

Nyssa chuckled softly, and he joined in her laughter. "That is true, my father lived for centuries before I was born. I grieved for my Beloved only to see her rise from the dead a year later. Strange has always been normal to me. But all this, the time travel, the technology on this ship alone is more than anything I've ever seen."

"I remember having to redefine my definition of linear time when we first started time traveling." He recalled.

"I actually found it quite easy to adjust to. Time seemed to pass differently in the League. It reminds me of home in that sense. The missions as well only without the assassinations of course," She remarked.

Stein's eyes widened at her last comment but, he remained silent and sipped his tea. "What does Sara say about your nightly walks, you two have barely been apart."

Nyssa licked her lips looking at the electronic window as it changed to a new location.

Martin nodded, "Sara doesn't know."

Nyssa nodded in agreement knowing that he was only trying to help. She did not know how much he knew about their relationships troubled history, but the same concern seemed to be directed at the every member of the team.

"My relationship with Sara was easy to step back into, even if everything has changed. I asked her to leave the last time in the hope that she would not be used as a pawn in my chess game and I stayed away because I believed Sara was better off without me. Now I have been given a second chance one I will use wisely."

Martin smiled softly. "I have never doubted that you would hurt Sara in any way but, It's not Sara I'm worried about."

Nyssa looked up at him confused and he continued. "We all choose to leave our lives behind and live on this ship. It took some time, but we all adjusted, but I've watched you wander the halls alone. This ship keeps you up at night. I know you love Sara very much and I know she loves you more than anything. I only want to help you find a home here, but only if that's what you truly want."

"I want to stay here, but the sounds, the quiet nights, and this ship entirely. I can't seem to adapt to it."

"I take it you haven't told Sara about this."

"No."

"You should, she can help you because she knows where you're coming from," Stein said, as sat back in his chair.

"Thank you, Martin," she said. He was right. Sara knew everything about her, and having lived together in Nanda Parbat she would understand Nyssa's difficulty adjusting to her new environment.

"Well, I may not be able to ease your worries, but I will always be here for a bit of company and a warm cup of tea." He said, holding up his cup for effect.

"And some very good advice." She said, smiling fondly at him.

"I've been with Clarissa for 43 years and in that time I've learned that the secret to a good relationship is communication."

"Before Sara died she left me and League, but when she came back we vowed to communicate better with each other. It seems I have forgotten that."

"It's never too late to renew that vow," he said, reaching forward to pat her clasp hands.

Nyssa smiled at Martin and the two drink their tea in silence relishing each other's company, but it wasn't long before they both yawned.

She looked over at the clock on the wall, "I hadn't realized it was so late. I should return to bed."

Martien nodded and they placed their mugs in the dishwasher, before parting ways.

"Good night, Miss. Al Ghul"

"Good night, Dr. Stein."

* * *

Once again the lights in the hallway shut off before the door to her and Sara's compartment slid open. Nyssa slipped inside and took off her boots. Sara had pushed back against the wall of the bed searching for her, so Nyssa climbed into bed facing her and pulled her close. Sara stirred as Nyssa pulled the blanket over them and blinked up at Nyssa.

"Where did you go?" She asked, her voice soft from sleep.

"I walked the ship for a while and then had some tea in the kitchen with Dr. Stein."

Sara sighed and nuzzled closer to Nyssa, her lips running along Nyssa's collarbone.

"I'm still trying to get used to everything, it's all quite strange, especially at night," Nyssa said as Sara settled in her arms.

Sara hummed and the sound vibrated through Nyssa's bones.

A moment later Sara looked up at her with clear blue eyes and asked, "Are you happy here Nyssa?"

"With you, I would be happy anywhere." Despite Stein's advice, Nyssa was still hesitant to tell Sara just how much trouble she was having adjusting to life on the Waverider. Sara was happy here, happier than Nyssa had ever seen her.

Sara sighed and moved away from her, pushing herself up onto her elbows, "I don't want you to do it for me. You have a choice in all this. If you don't like it here we can go home. I only want you to be happy."

"I don't have a place back in 2017 to call my own, you are my home and I made my choice when I came on the ship. I enjoy time traveling, and see a new year each day, I am truly happy Sara." Nyssa said reassuring her.

"But," Sara said, trailing off.

"But, as I said everything is still unusual, and I haven't fully adjusted to living on the Waverider."

Sara nodded, "It's like when we were collecting blackmail material on the corrupt politician who had Mono. We didn't leave the room for a week and you hated that place. Remember, we stayed at the Hub hotel in London. It was one of the most sophisticated hotels I've ever seen and all you wanted was your room back in Nanda Parbat."

"To be fair, I do believe a bit of cabin fever was involved," Nyssa said.

"Yes, there was that too," Sara said. "But for the majority of your life, you have lived in a place with a fireplace for heat and candles for lighting. You're very old-fashioned girl, Nyssa al Ghul and you're not used to living in the place with so much technology."

"You loved that fireplace," Nyssa said.

"Are you gonna let me get to my point," Sara said raising her eyebrows at her. Nyssa gave her a look but remained silent.

"Do you remember what we did in London?" Sara asked.

Nyssa smiled as she recalled the fond memories. "Yes."

The second Friday they were in London. Sara decided the world wasn't going to end if they left for the weekend. Their target was still sick in bed and wasn't going anywhere, so they linked the cameras to their phones and went away for the weekend. They camped in Sussex, not 2 hours away, staying in a yurt and cooking over an open fire. It provided Nyssa the opportunity to recharge and complete the mission when they returned to London on Sunday.

"Well, we could do something similar," Sara continued. "We could work it out so that every night we park the Waverider somewhere inconspicuous, pitch a tent and sleep under the stars. I'm sure everyone could use a bit of shore leave, and it might be nice to have the evening's off. We could even visit our friends and family back in 2017 every once in awhile."

Sara paused to let Nyssa think it over before asking, "Well, what do you think?"

"I think it sounds lovely, thank you, my Beloved."

Sara smiles at her and leans in for a kiss its sweet and lazy and Nyssa can feel how tired Sara is. Nyssa pulls away and brings Sara close, wrapping her arms around her. Once again Sara settles in her arms and closes her eyes and Nyssa soon follows suit. She let herself focus on Sara's breathing, and the feel of Sara's chest rising and falling against hers, letting the sound lull her into sleep.


End file.
